Arms and history of the countries of Europe

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Blazon: Per quarterly gules and vert on a bend or between II and III two bars gemelles or surmounted by a pile reversed argent, a lion’s gamb erased gules armed azure between two cinquefoils pierced ermine

Crest: On a wreath argent and gules an owl close affronté supporting between its wings a pelt charged with a shuttle erect, all proper

Supporters: On the dexter a lamb guardant argent; on the sinister a tiger guardant, the tail reflexed up along the exterior thigh proper

Blazon: Per quarterly I azure a bend argent* between two wyverns rampant or (Baillet), II or in the dexter corner of a chief gules an escutcheon of Montmorency, the dexter chief quarter argent a molet of five points sable (Aunoy), III or a cross gules between sixteen alerions azure (Montmorency), IV argent a chief gules surmounted by a lion rampant azure (Vendôme), overall in the fess point an escutcheon azure three dexter hands couped or surmounted by a quarter chequy of argent and the field (Potier)

Arms of Gilbert de Gant, Earl of Lincoln c. 1149-1156 and Baron of Lindsey 1095-1156 (c. 1126-1156), and ‘Hawise de Roumare’

From p30 of Lacies Nobilitie by Sir John Ferne (1586)

Blazon: Per pale, baron and femme; the first or three barrulets azure surmounted by a bend gules, the second gules seven mascles 3, 3, and 1 between ten cross crosslets or 3, 4, 2, and 1

Ferne asserts that Gilbert married one Hawise de Roumare, William’s daughter, and thereby obtained the title Earl of Lincoln. This does not seem to be borne out by the historical record. First, William de Roumare only had one recorded child, a son who was also named William. Hawise was the name of de Roumare’s wife, so Ferne may be conflating the two. Moreover, Gilbert de Gant certainly did not marry into the earldom; when de Roumare took the Empress Matilda’s side during the Anarchy, King Stephen granted the title to de Gant (around 1149 or 1150). Ferne goes out of his way to insist that King Stephen only created de Gant Earl of Lincoln after he married de Roumare’s daughter in accordance with the laws of marriage and inheritance, but given that there is no evidence of a Roumare daughter, this seems improbable (and probably colored by Ferne’s open disdain for King Stephen). He may be conflating de Gant’s wife with Hawise of Chester, who was created the first countess of Lincoln in her own right in 1232.

Blazon: Per pale, baron and femme; the first gules two bendlets engrailed vert, the second or three barrulets azure surmounted by a bend gules

Ferne presents the coat without any special commentary, besides noting that Gilbert de Gant had chosen to bestow the earldom on his daughter rather than on his son Walter – an unusual choice for the time, and evidently intended to make her more marriageable. Unfortunately, I cannot find any evidence that either of the individuals to whom these arms are attributed existed. It does not seem that, as Ferne asserts, Gilbert de Gant had a daughter named Maud, and even Ferne seems to gloss over the Fitzwright family; it takes less than a full sentence for the earldom of Kyme to pass through the Fitzwrights and to the Umfravilles, whose male line would eventually die out. It might be feasible that Ferne mixed up the names, and meant to write that Lucy, William de Gant’s sister, brought her titles into the Umfraville family; however, the text refers to Fitzwright and Robert Umfravill, Earl of Angus as distinct individuals.

According to Ferne’s mouthpiece Paradius, de Gant was ennobled by William the Conqueror. (No exact date is given, but it seems likely this occurred before the compiliation of the Domesday Book in 1086.) Ferne does not mention that Gant was related to William the Conqueror, but his displeasure towards the newly created Norman nobles is palpable.

Paradius asserts a few interesting things about this coat. First, he claims that the bend was added for differencing, saying that “those which we now call the ordinary charges were in olde time used commonly for differences of familyes and brethren.” (29) He devotes two and a half pages to the alleged symbolism of the arms, giving the origin of the barrulets (then called bars) as “great peeces of tymber… [used] to stop and debarre the enemye from his entraunce…”, which “may be well applyed unto him, whose invention, industrye, or labour, hath so secured and fortified the Campe,” or to others who have, through might or strategy, prevented an enemy from gaining
a foothold in their country. The fact that the bars are azure, the color of the sky, apparently indicates that “the force of wisdom prevaileth in times of peace, to
stop the enterprises of enemies.” The bend, on the other hand, is supposed to designate that the bearer was one of the first to overcome the enemy’s wall; its color shows that he “did not win the wal from the enemy, but by great bloudshed, stout and couragious fight.” (29-31)

Blazon: Per bend argent and barry wavy of the last and azure on a bend gules three escallops of the first in sinister chief a rose flowered, slipped, and leaved proper

Crest: On a wreath argent and gules on the stump of an oak tree sprouting proper a cock head to the dexter vert in front of a cock head to the sinister or, both beaked, legged, combed, and wattled gules